The Sunday News
Nduduzo Tshuma in Japan
PRESIDENT Mugabe yesterday called for the inclusion of violent conflict on the agenda of the United Nations Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction.
Addressing the 3rd UN conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan, President Mugabe said violent conflict had resulted in mass displacement of people and destruction of infrastructure.
“Madam President, violent conflict as a root cause of disasters needs to feature on our agenda. In some parts of Africa, in the Middle East and in some other parts of the world, such conflict has resulted in the mass displacement of people, the destruction of infrastructure and general economic degradation,” said President Mugabe.
“To be comprehensive and all-embracing, disaster risk strategies and resilience building measures have to take such conflict situations into consideration.”
President Mugabe said there had been a marked increase in the frequency and severity of disasters.
“Whereas in my country, and I speak as current chairperson of the African Union, droughts occurred generally once every 10 years, they now occur almost every five years. Other southern African countries are also suffering the impact of more frequent hydro-meteorological disasters in the form of both droughts and torrential flooding,” said President Mugabe.
“The same trend in respect of similar disasters caused natural phenomena can be observed elsewhere on the African continent and indeed across the globe.”
This, President Mugabe said, suggested that as nations address the issue of risk reduction, greater attention should be paid to the nexus between natural disasters and climate change.
“We have that opportunity here in Sendai, but also in the ongoing negotiations in preparation for the 21st Session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held in Paris in December this year,” said President Mugabe.
He said a successful outcome in Paris would make a major contribution to addressing some of the risks associated with climate-induced disasters.
President Mugabe said the climate change deliberations must find sustainable solutions to critical issues as mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology transfer and capacity building.
President Mugabe said the conference, focused on agreeing the Post 2015 International Agenda and Frameworks, is one of the important international gatherings this year.
He said since the Hygo Framework for Action was adopted in 2005, tangible progress was made in addressing disaster and improving resilience with many countries moving from reactive to proactive methodologies in disaster risk management.
“Many countries have adopted National Disaster Policies and Strategies, have made budgetary provisions for disaster risk reduction, have formulated early warning systems and have extended school programmes to include disaster education,” said President Mugabe.
“Regrettably, such progress is not universal, particularly in Africa, where our countries require international co-operation and support to improve and strengthen our capacities to develop these policies and strategies. We welcome therefore the efforts made to ensure that the successor to the Hygo Framework for Action builds on its successes but also addresses the weaknesses and gaps identified over this past decade.”
President Mugabe welcomed the agreement on the seven global targets and indicators, “which will enable us to assess our individual and collective actions in implementing the priorities of the Post 2015 Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction, strong global partnerships are essential in this endravour”.
He said the gatherings ensured coherence and more effective alignment of policies and should enable nations to further reinforce fundamental pillars of international co-operation, “such as the principle of common but differentiated responsibility between developed and developing countries”.
President Mugabe said international co-operation and solidarity that did not recognise this and other fundamental principles or that sought to dilute them would be unrealistic, unfair and insincere.
He said gender sensitivity was essential in disaster risk management as women and girls were often disproportionately affected by disasters but without losing sight of other vulnerable groups such as the youth, elderly and people living with disabilities.
President Mugabe congratulated Japanese minister of State for Disaster Management Eriko Yamatani for being elected President of the session adding that the venue was relevant to the conference.
“With memories of the devastating impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake just four years ago, upon this city, upon Miyagi Prefecture and indeed upon the entire Tohuku region still vivid in our minds, the venue for this conference could not have been more appropriate,” he said.
President Mugabe said Japan’s experience in disaster risk reduction, management and recovery held important lessons for all nations.
Speaking at the opening of the conference, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged $4 billion to support the implementation of the Sendai Co-operation Initiative for disaster risk reduction over the next four years.
The fund will focus on the development of disaster proof infrastructure and train 40 000 government officials and local leaders to play a leading role in national efforts for disaster risk reduction and post disaster.
French Foreign minister Laurent Fubius called for the creation of a worldwide early warning system for climate disaster.
He said 70 percent of disasters were now linked to climate change, double the number 20 years ago.
Fubius said the objective was to provide most vulnerable countries and Islands with realtime weather and climate updates, information and communication technology and to support an SMS based alert system.
The President is accompanied to the conference by ministers of Health and Child Care, Dr David Parirenyatwa; Foreign Affairs; Ambassador Simbarashe Mumbengegwi; Environment, Water and Climate, Cde Saviour Kasukuwere and Local Government and National Housing, Dr Ignatius Chombo.
